Joey left Ella secured in place. He walked away from her and rummaged in his saddle bags a moment before pulling out an apple and a large chunk of bread. He chewed thoughtfully on his food as he watched the young girl who stood at the other side of the cave. He could tell just from a glance that she was exhausted, her head hung in a sorrowful manner, her eyes closed or upon the ground, Joey couldn't tell which as her hair covered most of her face.
As he ate he let his mind drift back over the events of the last few days. He had followed the blonde haired man and Call on their journey back to Ojinaga. He had learnt that the blond man was called 'Doc' and from what Joey saw it seemed a fitting nickname as he had some skill in dealing with the sick and injured. Joey had begun to sulk a little; the old Ranger may survive because of this man's care. Many times Joey had thought of sneaking into camp in the dead of night and finishing them both off, but the thrill of the chase and the fact Doc slept little and always had his gun at hand stilled the urge.
They had arrived in Ojinaga later than Joey would have liked but still it was all going smoothly. He had watched them take Call up to his mother's house from a nearby building behind them. Out of the corner of his eye he had seen Ella, the sight of her sent a strange jolt through him, the memories of their time together flooding his mind with images and remembrances that both infuriated him and stilled him. She had stopped her work, her face turning white and then she had run, for a small moment in time Joey thought she was running towards him, his mind had bristled in disbelief and had soon been proven right as she flung herself into the waiting arms of Doc. They had embraced tightly, as if they were lovers and Joey gritted his teeth together, he had been right all along she was nothing more than a whore…
He'd stayed hidden and observed his mother taking the man that had been employed to kill her own son into her home gladly, Joey's hand tightened into a fist, his anger burning more brightly by the second at all the betrayals this one day was placing before him. Joey had lingered in the village for many hours, he knew how to stay out of sight and his uncommon patience won through once again. He had managed to find a place near his mother's house and concealed himself, waiting. He'd seen the exchange between Ella and Doc, the words of hope and love that passed from their lips to each other, the kiss that lingered and spoke for all to see of softness and longing… Joey flexed his hands as he continued to wait.
Taking her had been so easy; she had been too lost in her own thoughts to suspect anything before it happened and now she was here with him, now he could do what he wished to do. But first he would play with her a little. He finished his meal and walked over to where she was bound; she heard his footsteps and flinched, her eyes gazing out from behind strands of dust coated hair.
Joey untied her from the iron ring, with swift, uncaring movements, but kept her hands bound in front of her.
"You can leave" he said, not looking at her, his voice calm and emotionless.
Ella stared at him a moment, he could hear her scared breaths and knew she wanted to speak but the gag prevented her, it was what he wanted for now, when he wished to hear her voice he would remove it… after all what would be the fun if she didn't beg at the end.
"If you can climb up the rope, you can leave." He flicked a hand carelessly towards where they had entered the cave.
Ella's eyes snapped towards the long passageway that led to where the rope lay waiting in the darkness, before they drifted back to him, her gaze stating clearly she did not trust his word.
"But if I catch you…" A small smile tugged at his lips, he let out a smug, cruel laugh. "If I catch you…" he repeated, enjoying this game far too much. "Usted es mío." He gestured with a flick of his eyes that she should start now before he changed his mind.
Ella stared at him a moment, trying to read the marble of his expression. She took a hesitant step backwards away from him, realizing in that moment that the tightness and heaviness of the skirt would make any fast movement arduous. She continued to stare at him, her movements slow and wary as his cold blue eyes watched everything she did with interest.
Without giving warning Ella started to run, she forced her feet onwards, willing her muscles to work hard against the material that tried to restrict her. She turned her head and saw he had already started after her, his pace quickening from a walk to a trot. She gave a muffled cry of distress through her gag and closed her eyes tightly, praying silently that by some miracle she would make it, that her hands would curl around the rope and she would be pulled to safety, Doc or Maria's smiling face would greet her at the top and protect her… it was foolish wishing but it was all she had. The dark passage went on and on and she kept looking back only to see his jet black figure following, gaining and her heart felt as it would burst from the fear.
Finally the corridor of stone abated and the chill night breeze brushed harshly against her cheeks and stirred her hair. She glanced about her frantically, searching for the rope. She groped blindly forward, her hands grasping the cold rock for any tell tale sign. She could hear her breaths rasping in her ears as the panic heightened around her, the search bearing no fruit…
And he was coming…
Then her fingertips brushed it, the rough twisted fibers of a thick rope, and she wrapped her hands around it. With her heart beating hard within her chest she made ready to pull herself up, she felt sure that her sheer will in this moment would guide her quickly upwards. But her hopes were shattered as arms wrapped themselves about her waist and pulled her away. She struggled, crying out from behind the gag as she tried to pull herself loose but it was all to no avail and she finally landed with a harsh thump upon the ground. Without pausing, Joey grabbed her wrist and began to half pull her and half drag her back. After a moment she managed to regain her footing fully and tried to twist away from him, but his hand held fast and only tightened painfully the more she struggled, she had no choice but to relent to his demand to follow, and he dragged her back into the cave.
Ella suddenly found she had a severe loathing for the place and all its treasures, it was all fake, fake love and comfort, this was Joey's only joy and she bitterly wished she could destroy it all. She knew his intention fully, had known it from the moment he had taken her in Ojinaga, he had had no thoughts of letting her escape, even if she had made it to the top he would have hauled her back down, his plan was set and he was only teasing her with the thought of hope. She had known the outcome would not be in her best interest simply because Joey held no pity or remorse in his heart… did he even have a heart underneath it all?
As they came to a stop she looked at him fully, her eyes burning with contempt and defiance. They stared at each other a moment and she thought she detected something flicker across his expression but it was too brief to pin down.
He pulled her after him as he searched in one of the large trunks a moment before he pulled out a beautiful large sheet of cream silk; it had perhaps been an expensive part of a bed set once. He pushed her down onto a low table and gave her a warning look, his hand coming to rest a moment on the butt of his gun. The threat was clear to Ella, she was to stay still and not move or he would draw on her.
He quickly spread the sheet out, uncreasing any ruffles, the act almost loving in its attention to detail, until it looked smooth and the glow of the lamps glinted off it. Once again he grabbed Ella and made her walk forward.
"Lie down" he commanded.
Ella's mind jolted with the memory of those same words coming from him many months ago on their first meeting. She closed her eyes tightly, fiercely wishing that she had listened to her gut then, that she had listened to both Billy and Maria and stayed far away from him, but it was too late now… what was done was done.
She carefully lay back onto the material, her heart pummeling hard within her. Her thoughts raced, she wondered if Doc would ever find out what had become of her, would Joey dump her body somewhere she would be found or did he intend to keep her here, letting her rot slowly among all the finery. She shivered at the thought.
Joey straddled her, pinning her body to the floor and she looked up at him and damned herself harshly that the feelings for him were not fully gone, the memories still held a strange fondness in the haze of time passed. The feelings were slightly bitter, twisted but still held some strange sense of the love she had born him. She would have needed time to get past this feeling, time she no longer had… and in the same breath she hated him, more than she had ever hated her mother, Johnny Duke or her husband Dave. She hated him for all he was, and she hated him because she couldn't forget him fully when she wanted to love only Doc.
Joey removed his hat, placing it upon the cold stone floor beside him, the action almost seeming like paying last respects, she supposed in a way he was. He drew out his dagger and studied the blade in the warm light before his blue eyes fell upon her face. Ella's eyes widened, this was the end. It had crept up upon on her so suddenly that her whole body seemed to still be recoiling from the shock. Fate was indeed a cruel master, showing her a tiny glimpse of happiness before snatching it away.
Ella had already decided that she would not let fear shine through; she could swallow it and try to seem brave even if inside she was screaming with terror, she owed herself that much, to die without pleading and begging. She looked directly at him and although tears had begun to pool in her eyes it was obvious from her stony expression that they were tears of effort and not fear.
Joey lowered the knife and the cold metal pressed against her throat, she flinched at the contact but her eyes remained locked with his, defiance and resistance speaking in their brown depths. Joey pushed down, meaning and wanting to slice through flesh just like he had done with the whore, but the whore had cared about her fate, Ella just stared at him, almost asking him to get the deed over with. He hesitated, the blade slicing thinly into skin and producing a small trickle of blood, Ella winced and her teeth gritted together at the sharp wave of pain. She silently prayed he'd slice sure, hard and quick in his next attempt. Joey watched as the blood ran in a narrow red line down her neck and soaked into the material at her breast. His eyes again connected with hers and his resolve faltered, the joy over the moment was gone, replaced once again with that unrelenting aching need for her. He paused and slowly moved the knife from her throat, his mind working, the need covering over his anger in its thin gauze that always provided him with some relief from the normally unrelenting rage.
He placed the dagger back into its sheath and allowed his hand to come back to her, his fingertips tracing the outline of her jaw, her neck, the place he had wounded. He wiped at the blood and saw her flinch in pain. He followed the path of blood to the hem of her bodice and allowed his hand to rest upon her skin for a moment, feeling the rapid, frightened beat of her heart under his touch. He again returned to look at her and she stared back at him, confusion in her gaze as she tried to understand what was happening and why he wasn't carrying out what he had brought her here to do.
Joey slowly reached up and loosened her gag, pulling the material out of her mouth. Ella gave a raspy cough, her tongue flicking out to wet her dry lips as she tried to make sense of the situation. Without waiting for her to regain herself, knowing they would only argue as they always did he moved forward and his lips crashed into hers. Ella's eyes widened in surprise at the contact and she tried to pull violently away but Joey's hands held her upper arms, preventing her objections. Ella tried to blank out her mind, not wanting to allow him any power and feeling slightly sick as his mouth pressed against hers. His lips worked upon her own and her mind couldn't help the flow of thoughts, his kiss was so different to Doc's, no sweetness lay within it, only need, passion, lust and a demanding want. Ella felt that same heady power she had experienced so many times before snake across her mind and she fought it, seeing it for what it truly was… lust and nothing more. His tongue probed, harshly demanding access into her mouth. Ella recoiled from the sensation, but the small coaxing voice spoke within her mind, telling her she had no choice, she had to give in and allow him to have his own way. She knew without much doubt that she was fighting a losing battle to deny him, she couldn't resist him forever not in the situation she now found herself in, it could mean her life. If she didn't allow this he would take her anyway, hurt her…. She may as well make it easy on herself. The voice slowly convinced her and her thoughts flashed up the prospect that some deep, dark part of her had wanted to be convinced. Despite everything she allowed herself to give in and the lust swept over her, she allowed it to cloud her mind completely, blocking out the current surroundings and unpleasantness that had passed between them, it was just her and Joey with no remorse, no strings. They drew each other into the aura of desire's fire and it refused to let them go until the very end, the obsession would never fully leave either of them even though it did neither Ella nor Joey any good…
Ella's resolve faltered into nothing and she allowed him to kiss her fully, her thoughts misted and darkened as the feeling she so loved, so craved shrouded her completely. She roughly kissed him back, her bound hands brushing against his chest in near desperation, her fingertips grasping to touch him as his own hands smoothed over the curves of her body. The time apart had only fueled the need and now it seemed nothing would contain it.
Joey moved Ella's bound arms so that they rested about his neck, his hands fumbled in hungry impatience at the buttons of her bodice, resorting to pulling and tearing the material as the need grew. His fingers sought out soft flesh and sensitive skin, bringing low moans from her lips as he continued to kiss her. Joey buried his face into her neck, his soft lips pressing against her collar bone, he breathed in her scent in this free moment knowing just how much he had yearned for it.
In his eagerness he wasted no more time and sought beneath her skirts, his fingers seeking out the place that made her his. He pushed and teased, bringing sharp breaths from her, and he relished the sounds, his own desire growing with each moan.
He struggled out of his britches and, taking full possession of her lips once again, he dove into her fully. They both let out a simultaneous gasp at the sensation and after the shivering effect had subsided they began to move together, bringing more moans and intakes of breath from the other with each new movement. They quickened pace, grasping onto each other as the emotion grew to an unbearable pitch and finally released first Joey and then Ella.
Ella felt as if her mind was spinning out of control and no thought would form and so she could only do the one thing her thoughts did understand. She clutched onto him as his name spilled from her lips over and over again in the stillness of the legendary cave.